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Urban Warfare Project

Urban Warfare Project

John Spencer 115 Episodes Jul 3, 2026

The Urban Warfare Project Podcast, from the Modern War Institute at West Point, explores the unique challenges of military operations in urban environments. Hosted by John Spencer, it features discussions with scholars and practitioners on the evolving nature of urban warfare. The podcast examines historical and contemporary case studies, tactics, and technologies relevant to fighting in cities. It aims to prepare military forces for the increasing likelihood of urban battlefields.

Episodes

Underground Warfare Reimagined
Underground Warfare Reimagined Jul 3, 2026 01:01:21 For decades, underground warfare was viewed as a niche military problem. Today, it has become a defining feature of modern conflict. From Hamas's extensive tunnel network beneath Gaza and Hezbollah's underground infrastructure in Lebanon to Iran's hardened missile facilities and the expanding subterranean systems in Ukraine, North Korea, and China, mil
NATO Urban Training Sites
NATO Urban Training Sites May 29, 2026 00:58:43 In this episode, John Spencer is joined by Stuart Lyle, urban operations research lead at the United Kingdom’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, for a discussion on one of the most overlooked but critical aspects of preparing for future war: urban warfare training facilities. The conversation includes a survey of major urban warfare training ce
Defending the City of Razish
Defending the City of Razish May 1, 2026 00:45:09 John Spencer is joined on this episode by Colonel Kevin Black, commander of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the Army’s premier opposing force at the National Training Center. Their discussion centers on the battle for Razish—a fight in which every rotational training brigade must attempt to seize a dense, multistructure city defended by a highly adap
Drones and Urban Warfare in Ukraine
Drones and Urban Warfare in Ukraine Mar 20, 2026 01:01:47 In this episode, John Spencer is joined by Dr. Anthony Tingle, an independent researcher who has made nine trips to Ukraine since the start of the war, most recently returning from Kherson and Mykolaiv. Drawing on firsthand observations from numerous urban battles, including Sumy and Kherson, the conversation explores how urban warfare is being reshaped
The 2003 Battle of Baghdad
The 2003 Battle of Baghdad Feb 23, 2026 02:02:00 In 2003, one of the most consequential urban operations in modern military history took place as US forces approached Baghdad from the south—the battle for control of the Iraqi capital, including the armored "thunder runs" that collapsed Saddam Hussein’s regime. Drawing from his firsthand experience as the commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infan
Urban Warfare Project Christmas Wish List, 2025 Edition
Urban Warfare Project Christmas Wish List, 2025 Edition Dec 22, 2025 00:54:31 It's a holiday tradition for MWI and the Urban Warfare Project Podcast—the annual Christmas wish list episode. Once again this year, host John Spencer turns the podcast's focus to an important question: What items should be on a military force's urban warfare holiday wish list? To do so, he is joined as always by two urban warfare scholars to discuss th
The 2008 Mumbai Attacks
The 2008 Mumbai Attacks Dec 12, 2025 00:53:48 On November 26, 2008, ten Pakistan-based members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group infiltrated Mumbai and launched nearly simultaneous attacks on five sites across the city. They paralyzed a metropolis of nearly eighteen million people for more than sixty hours. By the end of the siege, the attackers had killed 174 people and wounded hundreds more.
The Tunnels of Gaza
The Tunnels of Gaza Oct 24, 2025 00:52:51 Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, John Spencer has conducted research during seven trips to the country, and has had the opportunity to visit Gaza City. His firsthand experience gives him a deep and nuanced understanding of the vast tunnel network that runs underneath Gaza. In this episode, he shares his observations from this
Mossad's Raid in Tehran, 2018
Mossad's Raid in Tehran, 2018 Sep 19, 2025 00:35:32 In January 2018, Mossad operatives infiltrated a secret warehouse in Tehran, Iran, broke into dozens of massive safes, and in just under seven hours extracted more than one hundred thousand documents and over half a ton of material detailing Iran’s covert nuclear weapons program. The raid, code-named Operation Stealing the Reality, was the result of two
The 2005 Battle of Tal Afar, with Retired Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster
The 2005 Battle of Tal Afar, with Retired Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster Jul 18, 2025 00:43:55 In 2005, then Colonel H. R. McMaster commanded the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment during the Battle of Tal Afar. At the time, the city was a key stronghold for al-Qaeda in Iraq and a staging ground for fighters and suicide bombers crossing into northwestern Iraq from Syria. Operation Restoring Rights was launched to clear insurgents, restore order, and pro
The Future of Autonomous Policing
The Future of Autonomous Policing Jun 6, 2025 00:34:29 In this episode, John Spencer is joined by Captain Ryan Danowitz of the El Segundo Police Department. Drawing on his eighteen years of policing experience and research conducted through California’s Law Enforcement Command College, Captain Danowitz explores how artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles could reshape urban policing. He discusses h
From West Point to the Battle of Marawi
From West Point to the Battle of Marawi May 9, 2025 00:30:51 In this episode, John Spencer is joined by Major Floren Herrera of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and recipient of the prestigious Nininger Award for Valor at Arms, Major Herrera led troops during the 2017 Battle of Marawi—one of the most intense urban battles in recent Philippine mili

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